Southern Festival of Books Lineup
by Erin Z. Bass
On Monday, the Southern Festival of Books kicked off its Twitter contest to reveal which authors will be appearing at this year’s fest. Today, the festival announced its full lineup, and all I can say is mark your calendar for October 12-14 in Nashville. And, oh yeah, it’s free!
The list is a who’s who in the world of fiction, from Gillian Flynn to Lauren Groff and R.L. Stine, with plenty of Southern authors like *Kimberly Brock, Tom Franklin, Lydia Netzer, *Ron Rash, *Kevin Wilson, *Daniel Woodrell and poet Kory Wells on the list.
Also catching my eye is Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An attorney, her current book is “Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King.” I’m also thrilled to see Kentucky author Bobbie Ann Mason on the list. Her short stories have been a favorite of mine since college, and I thought I’d share the opening lines of “Shiloh” in celebration of the upcoming fest:
“Leroy Moffitt’s wife, Norman Jean, is working on her pectorals. She lifts three-pound dumbbells to warm up, then progresses to a twenty-pound barbell. Standing with her legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman.” – Bobbie Ann Mason
Click here to see the festival’s full schedule of authors.
*Authors who’ve appeared on our reading lists.
